Artichoke Hearts & a Kinda Gremolata

I always look forward to artichoke season; it’s one of those quiet joys that marks the turning of spring into early summer. There’s something greatly satisfying about preparing them: peeling away the tough outer leaves to reveal the tender heart, trimming the stem just so, and boiling until soft. It might seem a bit fussy at first, but once you’ve done it, you’ll understand the rhythm, and it becomes almost meditative. Before long, you’ll find yourself adding artichokes to everything.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

3 artichokes
1 lemon 1 half juiced & 1 half kept whole
1 tbsp black peppercorns
olive oil
400 g jar butter beans drained & rinsed
125 g mozzarella torn into rough chunks
salt & freshly ground black pepper
to serve: lemon wedges

Gremolata

30 g fresh parsley hard stems removed & finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
juice of half & zest of 1 whole lemon
extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Start by preparing the artichokes. Use a bread knife to chop roughly an inch from the top of each artichoke and then slice off the majority of the leaves until you reach the leaves which have a pale yellow bottom. Cut away any hard, sharp tips from the remaining leaves and trim a little off the bottom, too. Next, use a speed peeler to peel away any hard outer stem. Cut each artichoke in half, then quickly place them into a bowl of water mixed with the juice of half a lemon, to stop them from oxidising.
Fill a large saucepan halfway with water and bring to the boil. Add the remaining half of the lemon, peppercorns and a tbsp of salt, then gently drop in the artichoke halves. Boil for 18-22 minutes, or until they are tender all the way through. Drain and pat dry with a tea towel.
Meanwhile, you can make the gremolata. Combine the chopped parsley, garlic, lemon zest and juice and a good pinch of salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Add just enough extra virgin olive oil to cover it and give everything a stir (you could also make this in a food processor, but it’s nice when it has some texture, so make sure you don’t blend it until completely smooth). Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice, salt, or anything else you think it may need.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a good glug of olive oil. Use a teaspoon to remove the choke (the furry central part) from each artichoke half, then place into the pan, cut side down. Sprinkle with a good pinch of salt, then fry for 3-5 minutes, until they are gorgeous and golden.
Arrange the artichokes, cut side up, on a serving dish with the butter beans, torn mozzarella and gremolata. Finish with a grind of black pepper and serve with a few lemon wedges, if you like.

Recipe Notes

When eating, avoid the tough outer layers and any purple, papery leaves, as well as removing the fuzzy central ‘choke’. Instead, focus on scooping out the tender inner leaves and soft heart.